The new Caretaker Minister of Education and Deputy Ministers of Education (updated)
Prof. Dr. Sasho Penov is the caretaker minister of education and science in the caretaker government, appointed by decree of the president Rumen Radev from August 2.
His political cabinet includes the newly appointed deputy ministers Nadya Mladenova and Prof. Dr. Albena Chavdarova. Deputy Minister Maria Gaidarova, who will continue to manage the “School Education” priority, remains in her post.
Who is who?
In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The following year, his teaching career began, becoming an assistant in finance and tax law. In 2000, he became an associate professor, and in 2012, a professor in the disciplines of financial law, tax law, and international tax law at the Faculty of Law. Doctor of Laws (1996).
He specialized at the University of Hamburg, Germany (with a Weitzaker scholarship and a protected master’s degree in law at the same university 1991-1992) on the topic: Taxation of the income from economic activity of foreign enterprises in the Republic of Bulgaria (1992), at the International Center for the Preparation of staff at OECD – Vienna, Austria (1993); at the University of Athens, Greece (1995); at the University of Saarbrücken, Germany (2001, 2004); in the USA (2002).
Head of the Department of Administrative and Legal Sciences (2010-2018), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2011-2018). He worked as an expert in the Main Directorate of the Tax Administration (1989-1990) and head of the “Tax Agreements” department (1992-1994). He was a member of the Consultative Council on Legislation at the XXXIX (2001-2005) and XL (2005-2009) National Assembly. Member of the Legal Council under the President of the Republic of Bulgaria and chairman of the Commission for Forgiveness of Uncollectible State Receivables in the period from 2002 to 2011.
Lawyer at the Sofia Bar Association since 1994. Member of the Union of Lawyers in Bulgaria (1983). Specializations at the International Center for Personnel Training at the OECD, Vienna (1993), University of Athens (1995), University of Hamburg (1998), University of Saarbrücken, Germany (2001, 2004), USA (2002). Member and Chairman of the Legal Council under the President of the Republic of Bulgaria and Chairman of the Commission for Forgiveness of Uncollectible State Receivables (2002-2008).
In 2017, he became the recipient of the “Themis” statuette (“Grand Prix for overall contribution to law” award).
Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Veliko Tarnovo University “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” from 1995.
By order of Prime Minister Galab Donev, the following were appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Education and Science:
- Nadya Mladenova. Since 2017, she has held the position of Chief of Staff of the Vice President of the Republic. Before that, she was the head of the office of the Minister of Education and Science in the period July 2013 – August 2014. She has in-depth expertise in the field of European affairs. She is a historian by education, she graduated from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and
- Prof. Dr. Albena Chavdarova. She is a long-time university teacher, and since 2008 she has been a professor of “History of Pedagogy and Bulgarian Education” at the Faculty of Pedagogy at Sofia University “St. Cl. Ohridski”. In the period 2011-2015, she was the deputy rector of Sofia University for information activities, academic staff and administration. He has a doctorate in pedagogical sciences, he also has a defended dissertation for the educational-qualification degree of doctor at the University of Leipzig. He is a member of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria.